Air connection for ice cans



Sept. 23 1924. 1,509,519

J. A. MARTOCELLO 11m- CONNECTION FOR ICE 0111s Filed Oct. 24, 1921 2 Sheets-Shae. 1

.1 i5 4 I .1! 1 Hm" Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

JOSEPH A. MARTOCELLO, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AIR- CONNECTION FOR ICE CANS.

Application filed. October 24, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. MARroonLLo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in thecounty of Philadelphia and State'of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Air Connections for Ice Cans, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates primarly to the valve mechanism located between the air laterals and the air circulation system for cans used as containers and molds in the manufacture of ice.

The main purpose of my invention is to provide a valve which can be adjusted with great exactness to limit the air supply within the requirements of high, low or intermediate air pressure supply and which, without further opening of the valve can be turned to blow out any sediment carried along with the air.

A further purpose is to locate the blowout passage for air valves directly in line with one of the air intake passages within the valve body and perferably duplicate these in oppositely facing valves of apair so that all of these can be drilled at one operation.

A further purpose is to provide a valve having a trap for sediment and reduced speed of air travel within the plug when open to supply air and having provision for blowing out the contents of the trap without additional opening of the normal valve passage.

A further purpose is to provide a valve feature adaptable to use either above or below the air lateral having a sediment trap in the valve plug.

A further purpose is to place double valves below the laterals at permissibly the middle of the can ends or sides with discharge in line with the laterals and protected thereby, and permitting convenient connection of the outlets with the air pipes of opposite cans instead of diagonally placed cans and with air pipes placed in the can corners or at intermedii ite positions as preferred.

A further purpose is to sustain an air pipe by a spring bracket of curved contour adapted to fit the edges of the can firmly and yet support the air pipe resiliently and whose curvature adapts it to fit different widths of can.

Further purposes will appear in the specilication and in the claims.

I have preferred to illustrate my invention by two general forms only, shown 1n.

Serial No. 509,894.

single and also in double valve structures, among the various forms in which my invention may be embodied, selecting forms which have proved to be practical, highly efficient, reliable and quite inexpensive and which at the same time well illustrate the principles of my invention.

Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views showing the same form of my valve connected with differently-located air pipes of ice cans.

Figures 3 and 4 are longitudinal sections partly in side elevation showing an air lateral and the preferred form of my double valve connected beneath the lateral, the valve plugs being in different positions in the two views.

Figures 5 and 6 are sections corresponding to Figures 3 and 4 but showing the valve above the lateral.

Figure 7 is a section of Figure 5 taken upon line 7-7.

Figures 8 and 9 are longitudinal sections partly in elevation showing single valves connected to laterals.

In the drawings similar numerals indicate like parts.

In the freezing of ice in cans, air agitation is provided through laterals shown generically at 10 and through piping variously placed according to the preference, carrying the air down into the cans in various positions. The pipe 11 shown in Figure l is rigidly fastened to the can at the corner and the pipe 11 shown in Figure 2 is removable from the can and is adapted for insertion vertically or at any desired angle.

The air is supplied from the laterals to the pipe through valves and through flexible piping 12 and any connecting mechanism 13, 14 with which the present invention is not concerned.

Where the pipes 11 have. been rigidly secured in the corner of the can, the uniform selection of the same corner position for the pipe and the location of the valve approxiamtely above the corners of the cans has led. to the connection of piping from a double valve to the pipes 11 of cans diagonally placed as distinguished from those opposite each other, with the result that one end can at each end of a double row of cans must be connected with the lateral through a single valve instead of through a double valve at this point, as compared with double air outlets at other points along the row. I

have aimed to avoid this necessity so that double valves can be used throughout, to use the air lateral as the upper edge of the frame Work at this point upon which the compartment covers are rested in order to. supply the normal floor for the room in which the ice is made, and at the same time to protect the outlets from my "alves by the air lateral. I recognize, however, that my valves are very desirable for control of ice can air circulation independently of these collateral or associated features and that single as well as doble valves will be needed to meet the needs of the trade.

' here the air piping is not connected rigidly with the can it is still quite desirable to use my double valve at the middleot the length or width of the can, according to the direction of extension of the air laterals, and I provide a desirable bracket accommodating to dilierent widths of tank and fitting tightly within the can. It is preferably of spring material and is bowed or curved atone or more points either throughout its length or in portions 16 which may straighten out by reason of the spring or may be straightened out it the bracket be not of spring material, to give additional width between terminals 17 to accommodate the different widths and to lit tightly against the sides. The bracket is provided with fingers 18 to rest upon the top of the can and may be connected with the piping in any convenient manner.

In the preferred form of my valve it is intended to lie below the lateral l0 and comprises a double body portion 19, a threaded connection 20 adapted to screw into the lateral, outlet crossconnections 21, 22 and duplicate plug valves 23 inserted "from oppo site sides of the valve. As the outlet connections 21 and 22 are parallel with the lateral, the ends of the plug valves are readily accessible for adjustment of the valves and for turning of the valves to blow out the accumulated dirt and reset the valves to the required opening. Pins 23 may be inserted transversely of the plugs to limit their turning movement by engaging with suitable stops upon the body or with the other plug.

The air inlet through the valve body comprises a common central inlet 24, and separate transverse connecting passages 25 and 26 communicating at 27. 28 with the bores 29, 30 within which the plugs tit. On the oppositesides of these bores from the ends 27.

'28 of the inlet passages lie the ends 31, 32 of blowout passages 33 and 34.

The discharge passages 35, 36 from the valves terminate within the bores 29 and 30 at points 37 and 38 which are nearer circumferentially about the bores to the blow-out connections 81 and 32 than they are to the inlet connections 27 and 28 for a purpose hereinafter more fully pointed out.

For reasons of construction as well as because of the desirable arrangement of the openings thus secured I form passages 33, 25, 26 and 3A in line so that all of these passages may be drilled at one operation. As they are in line also with one of the passages through the plug valves, this plug valve passage could be drilled (or reamed) at the same time with proper care as to the setting.

The duplicate tapered plugs inserted from opposite sides are provided with passages 39 through them, terminating at 40, 41, the passages being in line in one position of the valves, as indicated with the passages 33, 25, 26, 34.

The plugs are provided also with passages 42 connnunicating with passages 39 and whose outer terminals 43 are nearer respectively to the terminals 41 of the passages 39 than to the terminals 40.

As thus described two opposite counterpart valve constructions are formed whose operation is identical the one with the other.

In each of these valves in the position shown in normal operation, (Figure 3) terminals and 43 of. the plug register in part only respectively with the cormsponding terminals 37 and 27 of the body and the air passes through the passages 25 and 26 to nearly the middle of the length of passages 39 and then upwardly through the upper parts of these passages and out through the outlet passages 35 and 36.

On account of the small size of opening provided the speed of the air 'in travel through the plug is low. Not only is any sediment which might be carried by the air stopped by the small size of the openings provided at the two points of registrations between the plug passages and the body passages but any entrained matter which gets into the valve plug falls down to the lower part of the passage 39 and rests in this portion of the passage as in a trap. At intervals, when it is desired to tree the valve from this entrained matter, the plugs are turned to bring the passages 39 in line with the passages 25 and 26 and lmssages 33 and 34. It will be noted that in making this turn the valve plug at the left in Figures 3 and t. is turned in a counter-clockwise direction and the valve plug at the right is turned in a clockwise direction. closing oil the small registering openings between thev passages of the plug and the passages of the body and finally cutting oflj' this passage; so that the direction oi movement. protects against. blowing the air and suspended or entrained foreign matter through into the. ice cans. The stops provided may be used to protect against in proper direction or extent of turning. As the position shown in Figure l is reached, a clear blow-out for the air and suspended matter is provided and llN) whatever suspended matter might lie in the passages 42 falls through 'into this clear blow-out passage and is carried out along with the blow-out air.

In the form shown in Figures 5 and 6 the construction is identical with the construction in Figures 3 and 4 except that the passage 24 and the threaded connection through which it passes are extended downwardly to the lateral instead of upwardly to the lateral as in Figures 3 and 4-; with the result that the passage 24 and intake connection lie below the valve and extend upwardly into connection with the inlet passages and 26. The operation in the form shown in Figures 5 and 6 is therefore identical with that in the form shown in Figures 3 and 4.

This valve is intended to be used in locations where it is desired to place the valve above the lateral instead of below it. The

section shown in Figure 7 would therefore be duplicated the lateral) in Figure 3.

In the form shown in Figure 8 the construction'is intended to be identical with that shown in Figure 5 except that a single valve only is used instead of the double valve of Figures 5 and 6. Likewise a single valve could be used otherwise correspondingly to Figure 3.

In the form shown in Figure 9 a change is made to provide for bottom blow-out discharge as distinguished from lateral blow out discharge and to place the outlet connection 21 and its passage approximately in line with the middle of the plug. Here also the passages 42 and 39 are at such an angle that the terminal 43 is closer to the terminal 41 than to terminal The inlet 24 is preferably enlarged so as to give a Wider range of safe movement through which the plug is closed completely to the passages. l Vith counter-clockwise movement of the plug the passage 39 registers fully with the inlet 24: and the discharge 44. It will be noted that the same feature of trap action of the lower part of the passage 39 is present in this as in the other structures.

Since the extent of partial registration of the feeding passages of the plug with the inlet and outlet passages of the valve body is capable of nice adjustment and can fur-- ther be suitably indicated upon the exterior (except for the position of in a corresponding section taken of the plug and body, or provided for by limiting stops, any extent of opening may be provided which is desired, accommodating to use of my valves with high pressure, low pressure or intermediate pressure circulation systems without change in the valve and with no other gauge or indication for use by the attendant than observation of the speed of discharge of the air and regulation of the amount of opening to give the de sired quantity of air feed in each can.

Since the opposite directions of movement at the right and left in the figures showing the double valves are apparent rather than real, representing the same direction of movement of the oppositely placed plugs, movement of the valve plugs for blow-oil" purposes will be uniform and there will be no trouble with turning the plugs in the wrong direction so as carelessly to blow the accumulated dust and dirt into the cans.

I recognize that the disclosure of my forms herein will be likely to suggest to others skilled in the art different forms embodying the principles of m invention but which do not copy the constructions shown; and it is therefore my purpose to include herein all such constructions as come within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a circulation system for ice cans, an air lateral parallel with one of the ice can walls, cans located upon opposite sides of the lateral, air circulation pipes in said cans, a double valve connected beneath the lateral at a point intermediate the length of the ice can walls and having outlets from said valve extending generally in the direction of the extension of the lateral and flexible connections from the outlets to the pipes in opposite cans.

2. In a circulation system for ice cans, a plurality of cans arranged in rows with walls of one can adjoining walls in the other can of the row, a lateral extending parallel with the rows, a double valve beneath the lateral and having outlets extending generally parallel with the length of the lateral, air circulation pipes in the cans, and flexible connections from the outlets to the air circulation pipes in different cans.

JOSEPH A. MARTO'CELLO. 

